The missing quadrant of consumer technology.

31 Aug, 2013 Experience‐driven Open (XO) is the missing quadrant of consumer technology. It is essential that we start building products that fall under this category of technology if we want to craft a future society where individuals own their digital selves. (1 minute read.)

Features‐driven Closed

Experience‐driven Closed

Features-driven Open

Experience-driven Open (XO), the missing quadrant of technology.

When we look at closed products in the consumer market, we find both traditional features‐driven products by companies like Microsoft and Nokia as well as experience‐driven products from companies like Apple and Google.

However, when we examine the open source world, we find only features‐driven products. It is not surprising, then, that open source — and free software before it — has not achieved mainstream adoption in the consumer market. The features-driven products it churns out simply cannot compete with the design‐led, seamless experiences being created by closed vendors using experience‐driven development processes.

In a world that we increasingly experience and manipulate via technology, it is essential that we start creating Experience‐driven Open (XO) products that empower consumers by protecting their privacy and civil liberties.

Building this missing quadrant of consumer technology is the challenge of our generation.